Splice-bar.



T. U. LACKLAND SPLICE BAR. AiPI-IUATION FILED MAY 21. 1909.

Patented Mar. 1, 1910.

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THOMAS C. LAGKLAND, 0F NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

' SPLICE-BAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented "Mar. 1, 1910.

Application filed May 21, 1909. Serial No. 497,473.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. LAOKLAND, a citizen of the United States,residing at Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia,have invented new. and useful Improvements in Splice-Bars, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to rail joints or splice means for railroad railsand the pri mary object of the same is to provide a joint havingstructural features which will overcome the defects of ordinary jointsas to noise and jar incident to car wheels moving thereover and theloosening of the parts of the joint itself, thereby obviating damage tothe rails and injury to the rolling stock and jar to the travelingpublic.

A further object of the invention is to embody in a rail joint aconstruction which will so unite the rails as to make them practicallycontinuous and prevent depression of the joints occurring between theties and wherein the fish plate upon one of the sides of the rail jointmembers is constructed in wedge shaped sections so that the poundingupon the rail will force the outer fish plate more tightly intoengagement with a double headed bolt member and thereby effectivelyprevent the disassociation of the rails.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription progresses the invention resides in the novel constructionand combination of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of the meetingends of a pair of rails united by my improvement. Fig. 2 is a transversesectional view upon the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detailperspective view of a portion of one of the members of the rail joint.Fig. i is a simi lar view of the opposite member of the rail joint. Fig.5 is a similar view of the fish plate. Fig. 6 is a perspective view ofthe wedge'member. Fig. 7 is an enlarged side elevation of the doubleheaded retaining element.

Referring to the drawing the numeral 1 designates a pair of contiguousrail members. These rail members 1 are constructed in the ordinarymanner being provided with the usual head 2, web 3 and base flange 1.The webs 3 of the rail members are each provided with a plurality ofspaced openings which are adapted for the reception of the securingelements in the usual manner.

The numeral 5 designates one of the members of the rail joint. Thismember 5 is provided with a base flange 6 having an integrally formedoverlying flange -7 from which is projected a vertical flange 8. Thespace between the flanges 6 and 7 is of a shape corresponding with onehalf of the base flange 4 of the rails. The verticalmember 8 is providedwith a plurality of spaced openings 9 corresponding with the openingswithin the webs of the rail mem here with which they are adapted toaline when the device is positioned upon the rail. The outer curvedportion of the member 6 is provlded with a plurality of cut awayportions 10 which are adapted for the reception of suitable spikeswhereby this portion of the device is secured to the rail ties. Thenumeral 11 designates the opposite member of the rail joint. This memberis also provided with a base flange 12 having an overlying flange 18from which projects vertically the integrally formed member 1a. Thismember 14 is of a height greatly less than that of the member 8 provldedby the joint section 5 and has its upper longitudinally extending edgerounded as indicated by the numeral 15. The lower outer edge of themember 11 is provided with a plurality of notches or cut away portions16 and these notches are adapted for the re ception of suitable spikeswhereby this member is effectively retained upon the ties of the rails.

The numeral 17 designates the fish plate of the device. This fish plateis of a substantially V-shaped formation having its lower enlargedlongitudinally extending edge provided with a continuous channel 18 andthis channel is adapted to fit over the portion 15 of the verticallyextending member 14; of the joint section 11. The fish plate 17 has itsbody portion provided with a plurality of cut away portions 19 extendingvertically thereof and arranged in spaced re lation with each other andalining' with the openings 9 of the joint member 5 and the openingsprovided in the wedge of the rail members.

As clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings these slots or cut awayportions terminate a suitable distance away from the bottom or reducededge of the fish plate.

The wedge member shown in Fig. 6 and indicated by the numeral 20comprises an enlarged headed portion 21 and a substantially V-shapedbody portion 22. This wedge member 20 has its body also provided with aplurality of vertically extending spaced cut away portions 23. These cutaway portions 23 are arranged to aline with the cut away portions 19 andthe openings 9 of the member 5 as well as the openings in the webs ofthe rails.

The numeral 2 1 indicates the retaining element. This element 2st isprovided with an enlarged body portion 25 having 'a head 26 and areduced body portion 27 also provided with a head 28.

In positioning the joint upon the rails the member 5 is first placedagainst one face of the said rail member having its upper longitudinallyextending edge engaging beneath the head of the said rails, while itshorizontally straight extension 6 engages beneath the flanges 4. Theretaining element 24 is now inserted within the openings 9 and theopenings of the webs of the rails, while positioned upon the reducedbody portion 27 between its head 28 and the face of the webs of therails, are placed the wedge member 20 and the fish plate 17. This isaccomplished by first passing the out awa i portions 23 of the wedge 20over the reduced body portions 27 and next positioning the fish plate17, through the medium of the cut away portions 19, adjacent the head 28and the outer face of the wedge 20. After the wedge plate 20 and thefish plate 17 have been positioned upon the reduced portion 27 or themember 24: between the head 28 and the webs of the rail, the jointmember 11 is positioned upon one side of the rail engaging its basefiange and the lower portion of its web. The member 1.1 is slid underthe fish plate 17 so that its rounded upper edge 15 engages thelongitudinally extending recess 17 of the said fish plate. When themember 11 has been driven to its proper position the spikes are insertedwithin the opening 16, thus effectively securing all of the elementstogether.

Having thus fully described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. In combination with the contiguous meeting ends of a pair of railshaving their webs provided with openings, of joint members, one of saidjoint members having its vertical flange provided with spaced openingsalining with the openings of the webs of the rails, the oppositeconnecting member being provided with an upstanding longitudinallyextending oiiset adjacent its lower portion, a fish plate having itslower edge provided with a longitudinally extending channel adapted tobe positioned upon the ofl' set portion of the second joint member, saidfish plate having its upper portion provided with a plurality of spacedopenings, a wedge member having its lower face prowided with verticalopenings adapted to aline with the openings of the fish plate and of thewebs of the rails, and a double headed retaining element adapted toengage all of the said openings.

2. The combination with the meeting ends of rails having their websprovided with spaced openings, a joint member comprising a base portion,an overlying flange and a vertical extension upon one side of the rails,the vertical wall of the joint member being provided with openingsalining with the openings of the rails, a second joint member for theopposite side of the rails, said second joint member comprising a baseportion, an overlying flange and a vertical longitudinally extendingrounded bead, a cross sectionally V-shaped fish plate having its lowerwall provided with a longitudinal depres sion adapted to engage the saidbead, said fish plate being provided with spaced vertical openings, awedge member having an enlarged top portion and being also provided withvertically arranged cutaway portions adapted to be positioned betweenthe fish plate to engage beneath the heads and with the flanges oi therails the spaced cut away portions of both the fish plate and the wedgeadapted to aline with the openings within the webs and the first jointmember, and a plurality of double headed retaining elements engaging theopenings of all of the members to secure the latter in locked positionupon the rails.

3. In combination with the meeting ends of a pair of rails having theirwebs provided with spaced openings, of a oint member comprising a baseportion and a vertical extension upon one side of the rails, a verticalextension of the joint member being provided with openings alining withthe openings of the rails, a second joint member for the opposite sideof the rails comprising a base portion, an overlying flange and avertical longitudinally extending rounded head a double headed retainingelement adapted to engage the openings of the vertical members of thefirst joint section and the openings of the webs and to have its secondhead projecting beyond the face of the webs, a substantially V-shapedfish plate having its lower extremity provided with a longitudinallyextending groove engaging the beaded projection of the second ]OlI1lJmember and having its face provided With vertically extending cut awayportions whereby it is retained in position through the medium of theproj eating head of the retaining element, and a Wedge member alsoprovided with Vert-ical cut-away portions engaging the body of theretaining element between the fish plates and the Webs of the rails.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

THOMAS C. LACKLAND. Witnesses:

GEO. M. BAKER, JAMES M. LACKLAND.

